A Silly Love Story
by tilinelson2
Summary: This is a silly love story, a personal real story adapted to Phantasy Star III settings. The story was written as a homage to someone special in my life.
1. Chapter 1

_This fanfic is dedicated to real-life Maia._

* * *

><p>The man was walking at a steady pace. He was going back home after a busy day at work. Suddenly, he was surprised by a familiar voice in the crowded streets.<p>

"Jay!"

"Huh? Tom!"

"Yeah, my friend. How are the things?"

"Not bad. I had some days off for the Christmas and New Year Celebration and now I'm working, as always. How about you?"

"Well..." Tom looked down. "I've had a serious argument with my girlfriend."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Well, she asked me for some days to think about our relationship. You know, I hate that. For me it is as if we had broken up."

"Yes, I know, but what to do? Sometimes it is better, regardless of you really loving her." Tili's tone was comforting.

"That is true. Well, I wanted to talk with you exactly about that." Tom tried to cheer up. "Jay, I was thinking about going to Cille this weekend, to have some fun and keep those worries out of my mind for a while. What do you think? Are you free for the weekend?"

"Yes, I don't have anything planned for this weekend."

"Nice. There will be a harvest festival over there, I think it may be interesting. We can meet Al there, have a good time, visit the harvest festival and relax a bit."

"Sounds good, you can count me in."

"Great. I'll invite Roger too. Looks like this time he will be able to come with us."

"That will be good. You know, it is so hard to see him these days, he is always busy. I just hope he doesn't cancel at the last minute, as he usually does..."

"Yeah, but then, we go without him. Well, my coach will pick you up Saturday, at 8am. I want to travel early in the morning, so we can enjoy the day. Is it okay for you?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Nice. Then we go and pick Roger up. You know that lazy man will be still sleeping as we arrive at his home."

"Yes, I know, but then we can throw a bucket of cold water on his face if that happens."

"Deal done. Well, I've to go now. See you Saturday, Jay!"

"See you, Tom."

Tili went back home. He was not really excited about the trip, but it could be good for a change. Though he didn't have high expectations about the trip, just to spend some time with his friends and do something different would already be enough for a would-be-boring weekend. Cille was just a mid-sized city with a palace, with nothing exciting about it. But Tili knew that what made the places were the people in it, so, as long as he had good company, it was fine for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning had broken on Saturday and Tili had already woken up. He chose to arrange his bag in the morning, as he didn't plan to take many things with him for just one day of travel. He was already ready when Tom arrived in his coach.

"Morning, Tom."

"Morning, Jay. Are you ready for the trip?"

"Yeah, everything is ready. Shall we go now?"

"Of course, let's get going." Tom motioned for Tili to climb up the coach ladder. "Let's not lose too much time. How much do you want to bet that we will arrive at Roger's and he will still be asleep?"

"Nothing, because I'm sure he will still be asleep."

"Wise man, you value your money."

Tom and Tili laughed. The coach was set in motion and, in less than fifteen minutes they were by Roger's door. Tom climbed down the coach and knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked on the door again, impatiently. After a couple of minutes of intense knocking, the wooden door opened with a loud crack and both Tom and Tili were confronted by a sleepy Roger.

"Alright! Stop knocking. I am already awake." Roger's mood was bad.

"Come on, we arrived late, hoping you'd be ready, and we find you still sleeping!"

"Man, it is Saturday! Do you expect me to wake up early?"

"Of course. It will be a long trip to Cille. Come on, man, hurry up!"

"Alright..." Roger shut the door again.

"I can't believe that! He is late and he is angry..." Tili facepalmed and shook his head in disbelief.

"Well, you've known him for longer than me. You should expect that." Tom shrugged.

"As we don't have anything better to do, let's wait for the rascal."

"Yeah. Well, let's wait for him since he will surely get crazy about the women attending the festival."

"If there are women, Roger is in."

"I have to confess you I'm not much in the mood for that. I'm still thinking on my girlfriend. Or ex-girlfriend... whatever."

"Well, it ain't easy. You are so fresh from the break up."

"I know. Well, let's cheer up. I want to see you score a girl today!"

"Let's see... let's see..." Tili was a bit embarrassed, as he longed for long-term relationships and was hardly interested in just scoring a girl.

After some minutes of waiting that soon became almost an hour, finally Roger opened up the door again, carrying his bag. His face betrayed he was still sleepy.

"Aha! The Snow White is finally ready for the wedding!" Tom was pretending to be impressed.

"Cut the crap! Let's get going." Roger was not in the mood for jokes.

"If it wasn't for you, we'd be in Cille at this time." Tili rebuffed Roger's sour comment.

"Alright. Stop now."

"Well, let's have fun in this trip. I'll start with a joke. Do you know that one of the mad man who set the nunnery on fire?"

"Yeah, Tom, you have already told that one."

"That was a good one, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was."

"And that one of the Orakian who had gone on a safari?"

"Yes, you have told that one as well. But it was fun."

"Alright. Well, do you know what bugs me there days? All those advertisements sent as letters."

"Yeah, that sucks." Tili agreed.

"You know, I hate all those letters, specially those offering surgeries to enlarge, well, you know."

"Yeah, most of the ad letters are about that."

"What bugs me is that I started receiving those letters as sent by my girlfriend."

"Well, these crooks use false sender addresses to send those letters." Roger was dismissing the story as irrelevant.

"But then, I asked her if she was sending me those messages and she told me she was. On purpose."

"What?" Roger was shocked. "Is it serious?"

"Yes..." Tom answered shyly.

"No, that must be a joke! That cannot be true! Is it serious that she was sending you those letters on purpose?"

"Yeah, it is true." Tom answered as if he was serious about that.

"No, you are lying, come on."

"Of course." Tom was grinning a bit.

"Roger, how can you be so foolish to believe that? Of course it is a joke!" Tili laughed at his friend.

"Well, how could I know? He looked serious."

"Only you could believe that story."

The journey kept going uneventfully, filled with jokes told by Tom and memories shared by the three friends, who knew each other since they were children. As the stories were told, the coach crossed the green plains that led to Cille. The horses were fast and the trip lasted only two hours, though for the three friends it was as if it had lasted only fifteen minutes. The city, which appeared as a small dot in the horizon, started getting bigger and bigger. As the couch was nearing the city gates, the friends started feeling excited.

"Cille, at last!" Tom's mood looked better than before the trip. "Hey, Jay, how much time since our last visit?"

"It has been almost three years."

"Oh yeah, three years. We should have come more often. Cille is a very cool city."

"Yes, it is."

"Besides, that was the last time I've seen Al."

"No, Tom, you are wrong. Remember that he visited us there once. He went with those friends of his who drank beer in gallons."

"Oh yeah, that is true. Anyway, it has been a long time. You have never come here with me, Roger, have you?"

"Not really."

"Well, it is a cool city. And there must be many girls from the nearby villages for the festival. I think it will be cool."

"All the girls in Cille, beware! Here comes Roger!"

"Let's see if you are so good with Cille girls." Tom laughed.

"You know I am."

The group went straight to the Inn and rented a room. Then they left for the market where Al used to work in order to meet him. As Al worked in the market, he usually had to work on Saturdays. Arriving at the market, which was crowded, the three friends had some difficulties to find their friend.

"Look, there is Al. Hey, Al!"

"Tom! What a surprise! What brings you and your friends here?"

"Of course it is not you. Or would you like me to come here thinking of you?"

"No, no, certainly not." Al laughed. "It has been a long time."

"Yes, it has been. Well, here is Tili, remember him?"

"Yeah! Wow, you are much thinner than in the last time."

"Well, I've got a terrible disease."

"What?"

"Just kidding, man. It is good to see you."

"I'm glad to see you."

"Well, he I don't remember..."

"Oh, yes." Tom motioned to Roger to greet Al. "This is Roger, another friend from the old days."

"Nice to meet you." The two guys introduced themselves.

"Well, Al, how's your day today?"

"Hmm... I'm pretty busy now, Tom, but I'll be surely free by 5pm. Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Yeah, we intend to go to the harvest festival."

"Nice, I'll take you there."

"Neat."

"Well, gotta run now. Are you in the Inn? I'll meet you there later."

"Alright, Al, see you later."

The three friends left the market place and returned to the Inn. Then, they spent the afternoon chatting and eventually taking a nap, as they wanted to get ready for the big dance party that was scheduled to happen in the harvest festival. The afternoon was a pleasant one, including a long walk under a scorching summer sun to a distant market to buy some cigars for Tom, Roger and Al. Tom and Roger were shocked to see Tili drinking two liters of flavored water at once, but he was so thirsty that he didn't care. Tili was a bit frustrated later that his pen ran out of ink while writing a letter to a friend, but he didn't care too much as he didn't expect to use it later. As the afternoon went away, the friends would be ready for the night. That night would be especially important for one of the three friends, who would never imagine that a simple trip would change his life forever.


	3. Chapter 3

Sometime past 6pm, Al arrived at the inn. The boys had a friendly talk, while Tom, Roger and Al smoked their cheap cigars, filling the room with smoke. Meanwhile, they were having a chat, almost exclusively about girls.

"Hey, Al, are you dating someone?"

"Yeah, Tom, for almost three years."

"So it must be the same girl you had just started to date last time we saw you."

"Yes, it is, Tili."

"Nice, very nice. But are you that serious?"

"Well, sometimes I hang out with the girls that work along with me, in the market."

"Oh, you naughty boy!"

"Yeah, Tom, but you know I'm like that."

"And will you be able to come with us to the festival?"

"Of course!" Al said in a nonchalant way. "I just sent a message to her, telling her I'll be with my friends today and that is it."

"Very good."

"It is always like that, I tell her that I'll go out and that is okay for her. If I don't tell, then I'm screwed."

"Well, I don't see there is a need to tell your girlfriend if you are not supposed to be with her." Tili raised one of his moral questions.

"No, that is impossible. You have to tell your girl where you are."

"What for? If the couple trust each other, there is no need to tell the other where you are, unless you were supposed to be with the other."

"No, that is not the way that it works." Roger joined the discussion.

"It can not be the way it works, but it is immaturity to demand the other partner to tell that you are going out. There is no need for that."

"Of course it is!" Al was baffled. "Once I was with another girl and my girlfriend sent a message boy after me. Then I had to build up an excuse, saying I was on an errand related to my job, but that was close."

"That only proves my point. Is it worthy to demand you to tell her you are going out when you lie to her and cheat her anyway?" Tili had an assured air that he was right.

"Well... let's talk about other things..." Al and Roger didn't have any arguments to counter Tili's argument. "Do you really want to go to the festival?"

"Do you think it will be good?" Tom asked, excitedly.

"Well, all the girls from Cille and nearby villages will be there. Besides, it is only 10 meseta."

"I'm not sure..."

"Tom, today it will be Tenor Latin and his Orchestra. All the girls will be there at his dance party."

"Well, even so, I'm not so sure."

"Oh, stop it, Tom!" Roger was irritated at his friend's hesitation. "We've come here for the girls."

"Alright... Isn't there any other ball?"

"Maybe, but today everybody will be at the harvest festival. We should go there. In case it is not good, we can go somewhere else later." Al tried to encourage Tom to follow them.

"Alright. What do you think, Tili?"

Tili was not much concerned with the parties. "Well, anything you choose, for me, it is fine."

Tili was not the kind of guy who enjoyed these parties. He was shy and a bit of an old-fashioned romantic, more like an old gentleman. These parties usually meant cheap flirtation, but no opportunities of knowing a lady worthy of his attention. He would follow his friends to the party just to let them have some fun, because he knew that other people liked that cheap flirtation and he that was fine. Just he didn't like it and he was hardly excited with those parties. Usually he would sit in a corner and wait for his friends, until they had had enough of the parties.

After some talking, the group finally decided to go to the harvest festival. Al left in order to take a shower and change his clothes for ones suitable to the party. The three friends did the same in the Inn. When it was about 9pm, Al returned with his coach to take the group to the harvest festival. Roger was very excited about the girls. Tom had mixed feelings. He was somewhat excited too, but his mind was partly on his ex-girlfriend. Tili was there more to cheer up his friends. After some minutes traveling through Cille streets, Al parked his coach in a safe place in front is his uncle's large wooden house, half a mile far from the place where the harvest festival was taking place. They went to the harvest festival walking that distance, enjoying the country air of the outskirts of Cille. Arriving there, they were unsure whether they should enter the festival, especially Tom.

"Are you sure this will be good? Judging by the people here, I'm somewhat afraid."

"But there is the place where everybody will be today." Al tried to reassure his friend.

"I'm not sure..."

"Come on, man! We've come here to have fun! Stop being a jerk!" Roger was less than happy with his friends hesitation.

"Isn't there another party where we can go? Like the ball we went to the last time we came here?"

"Oh, sure there is, Tom, but I think it will be empty today." Al was more inclined to go to the festival.

"I don't have a good feeling about this festival..."

"Come on, stop being an idiot!" Roger was now irritated.

"Well, we could enter the festival and, if the dance party is not good, then we go to another ball."

"I don't know..." Tom was still hesitant.

"Let's do it. Don't you agree Tili?" Roger was excited to enter the festival.

"Whatever you choose is good for me."

"So let's go." Roger started pushing Tom into the festival.

"Alright."

The four friends entered the harvest festival. It looked like Tom's intuition was sharp that day. After some minutes looking at the prized vines in the exhibition place, the group decided to go straight to the dance party, but then, they were frustrated. The dance party was a huge crowd of men and women together, shaking their arms in the air at the sound of a terrible tenor and a percussive orchestra out of tune. Though none of the friends were from the nobility, they were not used to that kind of dance party. To make matters worse, it was as if the men had drunk all the yearly Cille wine production only that day. The women were not up to their standard as well, mostly drunk, wearing lewd dresses with very short skirts. To complete the chaos, they were blessed with a very strong summer shower. No, definitely it was a bad choice to have joined the harvest festival. And they couldn't not even leave the place because of the pouring rain.

"What have I told you? What have I told you? Look at this people over there! It is not that I'm a snob, but look at the way they behave! The boys act like animals and the girls seem to like it! No, I don't consider them members of my species." Tom was mad at the scenes the group had seen.

"Alright, you were right. This party is terrible, though there are some chicks..."

"Come on, Roger, do you really want to have anything with these girls?"

"Well, no..." Roger was frustrated.

"So what do you want to do? We can still try to find another ball." Al was trying to cheer up his friends.

"We should have gone there first. Well, now we can't even leave here, with all this rain..."

The four friends stayed for half an hour, talking about the most diverse subjects, like their own jobs, the fates of other common friends and other generic talk, waiting for the summer shower to stop, but the rain would not stop. Concluding it would be useless to wait for it to stop completely, the group left the harvest festival under rain. As Al's coach was parked far from the harvest festival, they arrived there completely drenched. Even so, they decided to take a look around, to see if there would be another ball to attend. The group went to a nearby dance hall. It looked like there would be a ball, so they decided to stay.

"If you had heard me before, we'd have come here at first and we'd not be drenched." Tom was still trying to prove to the others that he was right, because he had good judgment.

"OK, anyway, let's see if this ball will be good. Looks like the girls here are better." Roger was excited at the sight of the girls waiting to join the ball. The girls wore better dresses, more fit to ladies, though almost all the girls were no real ladies and would behave in a similar way as the peasant girls on the harvest festival.

"What are you waiting for, let´s get in!" Al was trying to keep the spirits high.

Tili was feeling tired. He was not fond of balls and, he was drenched, his spirits were low and everything he wanted was to return to the Inn. Even so, he didn't want to frustrate his friends, so he stuck there with his friends to not cause any rift among them. Meanwhile, some interesting thoughts crossed his mind and he came with an excellent idea for saving the night.

"Well, pals, if you want to go to this ball, I'm all for it. But let's keep it real. If you intend to enter the ball drenched like that, you will get nothing, but a cold. Come on, if you really want to go to the ball and not look ridiculous, let's return to the Inn and exchange our clothes for something dry."

"Well, makes sense." Tom was convinced. "Is it too much to return to the Inn, exchange our clothes and return, Al?"

"Not at all. Let's go for it."

The group left the dance hall and returned to the Inn, in order to get ready for the ball. Tili was the least excited of the group, because he'd rather stay at the Inn for the night. He had already had enough of that Cille trip. What he didn't know was that his life would be completely changed in about one hour. It would be changed in a way he could never had predicted. And he would always be glad for having that insight. Though he didn't believe in fate, it was as if the universe was conspiring in his favor. And Cille would have a place in his heart forever.


	4. Chapter 4

The group returned to the dance hall in Al's coach again. Now the pouring rain had turned into a weak drizzle. Even so, the group didn't want to get wet again, so Al parked his coach inside the dance hall parking lot. They lost no time in getting inside the dance hall. The ball was not what they were expecting. Instead of the good popular string quartet they were expecting, there was another percussive orchestra. This one was not so bad as the orchestra at the harvest festival, but it was not much better. At least the dance hall was not very crowded and they could sit comfortably in the chairs left for those who were not dancing. Roger, in fact, was pretty happy. Women outnumbered men in a 3:1 rate. It was perfect for him, who lost no time. He stayed with his group less than ten minutes in the ball, before disappearing in the ball, chasing the kind of girl he enjoyed most: those who looked like a lady, but acted almost like a street harlot.

The other three guys stayed together for a while, but Tili, as always, was very bored. He hated the music, he was a bit shy and didn't like the girl's behavior in balls. He was of the gentleman kind, who liked long-term relationships, who wanted to know well the personality of a girl. He was interested in their souls. And the girls in balls were either drunk or only looking for a cheap date. He had nothing against the girls, everyone has the right to do what pleases him/her. Just most of the girls there were not the kind of girl he was longing for. It didn't take long for him to take a seat and stay there, bored, waiting for his friends to get tired of the ball and eventually go back to the Inn. He stayed there, meditating about his life, wondering if he was right being the way he was or if he should be like his friends. No, he was sure he was right being the way he was because he had to live according to his own tastes and beliefs. It was frustrating sometimes, but he had to stand for his own beliefs. Even if that meant be sad and lonely in those stupid balls or being ignored by the pretty, but frivolous girls.

After some time, Tom arrived at the table where Tili was. He didn't have a good expression on his face.

"Jay? What are you doing here?"

"Well, you know, I'm not in the mood for these balls..."

"Me too. Man, I have to confess I'm feeling bad about breaking up with my girlfriend. I just can't have fun with other girls when my mind is set on my girlfriend. Or ex-girlfriend."

"I understand."

"Why don't you join Roger? He disappeared in the crowd, so he is probably with some girl."

"I know, but you know I'm not a fan of balls."

"I see. Too bad, I hoped to see you scoring a girl today..."

"Well, who knows..." Tili was more skeptical about that than his friend, but he didn't want to frustrate his friend by saying he didn't want to score any of those girls.

The two friends stayed chatting for some time. Al went to take a nap on his coach, as he was supposed to wake up early on Sunday and work in the market. Suddenly Roger appeared at the table Tili and Tom shared, kissing a girl. Following them, there was another girl, a cyan haired woman, wearing a very beautiful white and blue gown. She had a puzzled look on her face. She was obviously shy and uncomfortable with the situation. She had gone to the ball unwillingly, just to be company for Jacquie, her lady-in-waiting and the girl Roger was kissing. Now she was left alone and lumped in a table with strangers.

"Hi." Tom broke the silence towards the newcomer.

"Hi." She answered shyly.

"What is your name?" Tili asked.

"Maia."

"Beautiful name. My name is Tilinelson."

"I like your name as well."

A bit of conversation ensued between the trio. Tom was not really interested, so he soon quit the conversation. Tili, on the other hand, had an immediate sympathy for the girl. Though he still had in his mind that it was not right to have a cheap date on a ball, this woman was different. She was shy too, much to his liking, as he would never be attracted to a girl who was too bold on flirting. She was able to keep an intelligent conversation, she was good-humored and acted like a damsel. Tili was a hardened man and, as he usually said, completely rational. So, the thought of her being a perfect girl for him or a soulmate never crossed his mind. But the agreeable lady was, at least, a bliss in that uninteresting ball.

Tili and Maia kept talking about themselves, trying to know each other better, while Roger and Jacquie kept kissing each other, as if they were the biggest lovers of the world. Tili was happy in having Maia as company. He thought that, if not a relationship, at least a good friendship could come out of that, though it would be hard to keep a steady friendship at such a distance. Not that Cille was too far from Tili's city, but both had their jobs, theirs families, their friends, so they'd hardly see themselves. Tili couldn't tell exactly if Maia was really enjoying his company, but he was feeling confident. So confident that, against his beliefs and values, Tili was too bold and risked a kiss on the pretty and charming lady he was entertaining. To his surprise and joy, Maia shyly accepted the kiss.

Tili and Maia stayed talking and occasionally kissing for a long time. For them, it was as if the ball didn't exist anymore and they were alone. In fact, Tom left together with Al. Roger and Jacquie stayed together, but Roger would confess later that he was not interested in Jacquie anymore. He only stayed with her because Tili was with Maia and he would not feel comfortable leaving Jacquie. Tili and Maia were really having a good time. The more they talked, the more they liked each other. The more they kissed, the more they fell in love with each other. They eventually looked for a less crowded corner, where they could talk and kiss with more privacy, as Maia was too shy to kiss in front of the other people, but it was impossible, crowded as the ball was.

A strong bond was being built between the two, so Tili started getting a bit more bold than he should, making Maia protest.

"Stop! You are a bit too bold for my tastes."

"Uh? Sorry, Maia, it is just that I'm really liking you..."

"Why do all you men are like that?"

"No, Maia. I'm not..."

"I hope so, because I'm really liking you,Tillli..."

"Don't worry, Maia, I'll show you I'm the best man you've ever met."

"You know, I'm not like those girls, I'm a lady."

"That is why I admire you, Maia."

"So keep your hands quiet!" Maia giggled in a loving way.

The subject of being a lady immediately brought up another subject. Tili and Maia started talking about their past relationships.

"Have you been in many steady relationships before, Maia?"

"Not really. Just once. But it didn't last more than two months."

"Really? Why?"

"The guy seemed to be nice, but then, he proved to be an egoist. He was lazy, he only thought about himself and having fun. Besides, his parents hated me because he was a noble and I was just a commoner. Or at least they thought so. We were about to marry, but things fell apart and I eventually broke up the relationship. He was courting another woman."

"Oh, Maia, for me you are a princess on your own."

"Oh, Tillli, thanks." Maia shyly smiled and blushed. _'If only he knew I am a princess..." _"What about you?"

"Well, I was never in a meaningful relationship. Though I tried many times and always offered my best to the ladies, they all ended in deception. I was always looking for my princess, but they were just mean girls acting like ladies. I have nothing against girls who are not ladies, but being mean is something I can't accept . But now I have no worries anymore. Looks like I've found my princess today."

"Oh, I really hope I can be your princess." Maia had a sweet smile on her face.

With more kisses and more chatting, they were unusually attached in a natural way. Neither were particularly clingy, but everything seemed to go smoothly between them. However, it was not perfect, as real life doesn't have room for fairytales. In fact, Tili was facing a terrible dilemma. While he was really enjoying Maia, he was really worried. He always disliked cheap dates, stating they were only interesting for people under 14. He had nothing against people who enjoyed them, but they were something he didn't want for himself. However, good as it was, his relationship with Maia would probably be just a cheap date. He knew they probably would never see each other again. And he was really afraid that, in spite of being a nice girl, he had only made a bold advancement on Maia to prove to himself that he was capable of having a girl at the ball, if he wanted to. That made he feel terrible, as he would be acting like a fool, doing exactly what he wished to avoid. He was really interested in maintaining the relationship, but he didn't know if they could cope with the distance. Besides, when he confessed his pen had run out of ink, so he had no means to write down her address, he noticed some frustration in Maia's countenance. She thought he was doing that on purpose, to avoid further contact with her.

As the night was almost turning into dawn, Tili and Maia decided they have had enough of the ball, as they only had eyes and ears for themselves. So, Tili, Maia, Jacquie and Roger left the ball together. Maia was supposed to give a ride to the boys in her coach and then go home, but Jacquie had another idea on her mind. She invited them all to spend some time at her house. Her mother and sister had traveled, so she was alone. Maia was less than pleased with the idea, but as Jacquie and Roger insisted, she ended up agreeing, as she wanted to spend some time more with Tili. Before going to her home, though, Jacquie made them stop in the 24-hour market to buy some drinks.

The two couples followed to Jacquie's house. Arriving there, they stayed chatting, while both Roger and Jacquie drained the ale casket. Tili and Maia didn't drink. In fact, they were not feeling comfortable. They knew Roger and Jacquie had other things in their minds, but Maia was not that kind of woman, she had different personal values. They stayed there for some time, chatting and laughing of Roger being attacked by Jacquie's cat, but Tili could feel Maia's uneasiness. Jacquie proposed they took a nap, as they were all tired, before hitting the road, but Maia didn't want it. Roger and Jacquie went to Jacquie's bedroom for their nap, or whatever they felt they should do. Maia, seeing an opportunity to leave, confided to Tili her worries.

"Sorry, Tili, as much as I love to be with you, I have to go. I don't want to stay. I'm not this kind of woman. I'm a lady, a damsel..."

"I know, my princess, and I love you more because you are just the way you are."

"Oh, Tili, I was afraid you would not understand, but now I see you are exactly the kind of man I was looking for. Well, let's go. Leave them a message saying we didn't stay."

"Of course. Let me find pen and paper..." Tili took a pen, a paper and wrote a message to Roger, saying they had left. "While we are at it, how about you giving me your address, so I can write you, my dear?"

"Oh, of course, my love! I thought you'd never ask!"

Tili wrote down Maia's address and they left in Maia's coach. She gave him a ride to the Inn. Before leaving, they exchanged the last kisses and Tili promised he'd return as soon as possible. The last kisses were bittersweet. As the day dawned, it was as if a good dream was about to end. Maia didn't know yet, but she really loved Tili. Tili didn't know yet, but he really loved Maia. Maia felt as if it was a parting kiss. It had been good. Tili was a special man. But now he was gone. Some tears fell from her eyes as she saw Tili wave for the last time before disappearing into the Inn. Tili was also feeling a turmoil of feelings. But he had a strong determination on his mind. Next week, he'd be in Cille again, no matter what.

Tili took a short nap, as the sun had already risen. After a couple of hours, Roger arrived at the Inn. Then, the group packed their things and hit the road back home. The guys were all happy. They had had a good time in Cille. As for Tili, he was not yet sure, but his life had changed completely that day. He had only one thing in his mind. He had to discover a way to return to Cille as soon as possible, which meant the next weekend. The memories of Maia were too sweet to stay being just memories of a happy weekend. He longed for more. He knew somehow that, with Maia, he could have that happiness again and again. And everything he most wished for was to have that happiness forever in his life. His quest for love had been successful. He was still afraid his hopes would be shattered by some fact yet untold, but he trusted Maia and that was the most important thing. He trusted he had finally found his princess.


	5. Chapter 5

A week later, Maia was still unsure. She had really enjoyed the company of that foreigner and she wished he would return, but she had no indication that it would happen. Tili had sent her a letter immediately after returning home, reassuring his wish to see her again, but she had already seen that before. Men were all the same, they promised they would return, but they didn't. Maia was a real lady, so she longed for a real gentleman. Tili looked like that gentleman, but she knew that, before being a gentleman, he was a man. So, she was afraid she would never see his handsome face again.

On Sunday morning, Maia was at her home, feeling lonely and sad. The vast rooms and halls of Cille's palace made her feel oppressed. She was trying to convince herself to accept that she'd never see that kind gentleman again. But it was not meant to be that way. She received an urgent letter and she couldn't hide her anxiety when learning the sender was Tili. She took the letter from the hands of her maid violently, ran back to her bedroom and opened the letter in a hurry, with a smile on her face, her heart pounding like mad on her chest. Her eyes shone while they devoured the words written on the letter. _"My princess... I couldn't stop thinking about you all this week... You've made me so very happy... Meet me at the city entrance, right after lunch... I love you and I need to see you, my beloved Maia... Tili"_ When she finished the letter, her eyes were wet. She hugged the letter passionately. _"Oh, Tili, I knew it was not just a dream. I knew you'd come back, to make me happy. I love you. You are the one." _Maia smiled broadly. The feeling of being loved was exhilarating.

* * *

><p><em>This is a homage for the real-life Maia, who made me believe that dreaming of Maia was not a hopeless dream. Thank you for being in my life, my princess.<em>


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